Davina McCall, the ever-familiar face of British television and beloved judge on The Masked Singer, has never shied away from sharing the real, sometimes raw, lessons life has thrown her way. As the show returns to ITV on January 5, 2026, at 6:30pm, McCall finds herself not just in the spotlight for her TV role, but also for her candid reflections on parenting, resilience, and the journey through personal adversity.
In recent interviews with the North Devon Journal and The Guardian, McCall opened up about the profound impact her three grown children—Holly, 24, Tilly, 22, and Chester, 19—have had on her outlook. It’s not the accolades or the television triumphs that she dwells on; it’s the humbling, sometimes difficult, wisdom passed up the generational ladder from child to parent.
“If ever somebody’s saying to me, ‘I don’t know whether to have kids or not,’ one of the reasons why I would say have kids is not because of what you can pass on, it’s what they make you look at,” McCall told the North Devon Journal. This sentiment, simple as it sounds, underscores a shift in her approach to motherhood—one that’s been shaped, in part, by her daughter Tilly’s frank feedback.
For McCall, the turning point came courtesy of Tilly, her middle child, who delivered a message many parents might find both familiar and jarring: stop micromanaging. “Tilly, my middle one, has been the greatest at teaching me to stop micromanaging. She is like, ‘no Mum, let me try this – don’t tell me what to do. I know what to do, and if it’s a mistake, I’ll still be ok,’” McCall recounted. It’s a lesson that resonates with countless families—letting go, even when every instinct says to hold on tighter.
She elaborated further: “I think that’s the big fear with parents, you think, ‘oh my God, I’ve got to lead you through this one. It’s going to be difficult,’ but they have to make mistakes.” According to McCall, her children’s insistence on independence has helped her realize that some of life’s greatest gifts emerge from disaster, not perfection. Shielding children from adversity, she warns, could rob them of essential growth. “My greatest gifts in life have all come from catastrophic situations and she said if you don’t allow your kids to experience their own troubles, they will struggle to learn,” she told the North Devon Journal.
Honesty, too, is a cornerstone of her parenting philosophy. McCall advocates for open lines of communication, believing that candor on the parent’s part encourages the same from children. “She also advised parents to be as honest as they can with their children and a big reason why is because it results in them being more honest with you in return,” she said. And when mistakes inevitably happen, forgiveness should flow both ways—another lesson she’s keen to pass on.
These insights are not just for her family. Last year, McCall co-authored a book with midwife Marley Hall titled Birthing, offering guidance on all aspects of childbirth—a testament to her commitment to supporting others through life’s big transitions. The book, published in 2025, has been well received for its practical advice and empathetic tone, reflecting McCall’s own experiences as a mother navigating the unpredictable terrain of parenthood.
But as McCall looks ahead, her focus has shifted to a subject that many find even harder to discuss: death. Speaking on Chris Evans’ Virgin Radio Breakfast Show, she revealed plans for a new writing project exploring how to embrace a positive end to life. This idea was sparked, in part, by a deeply personal health scare in November 2024, when McCall underwent surgery to remove a 14mm non-cancerous colloid cyst—a type of brain tumour.
The ordeal, while frightening, brought clarity. In her words to The Guardian: “The best thing to come out of it is not being frightened of death any more. I wasn’t terrified of dying, but I didn’t want to die. I love life, love living, and definitely wanted to be around for my kids while they were young. I think if I’d got ill when my kids were little it would have been very different, but I looked at my three kids and, although I didn’t want to leave them, I did think: you’d all be OK if I did.”
This newfound perspective on mortality hasn’t just changed her outlook—it’s reframed her priorities. McCall’s willingness to confront the subject of death head-on is, she says, part of her ongoing commitment to honesty and growth, both for herself and for her readers. The project, still in its early stages, promises to offer the same blend of empathy and candor that made Birthing such a success.
Recovery from her health scare has not been without its quirks. On a recent episode of her Begin Again podcast, McCall discussed the lingering effects of her brain tumour on her short-term memory. Exercise, she said, has become an “essential part of happiness,” yet her forgetfulness means she sometimes relies on the physical aftereffects—specifically, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS)—as proof she’s worked out. “I started working out after I’d had my brain tumour removed, and but it had a really badly affected my short-term memory, and the only reason I knew if I’d worked out was if I had DOMS. So I’d wake up the next morning, and I’d be like, ‘Oh, God, wow’, and I’d think, ‘Oh, I must have worked out yesterday’, but I had no recollection of it,” she explained on the podcast.
For a woman whose career has been defined by public visibility and personal reinvention, McCall’s willingness to share her vulnerabilities is striking. Whether she’s discussing the challenges of letting her children make their own mistakes, the fear and acceptance that come with facing mortality, or the small, everyday struggles of recovery, she does so with a frankness that invites empathy—and perhaps a little self-reflection—from her audience.
As The Masked Singer returns to screens, viewers will see McCall in her familiar role as a panellist, but those who have followed her recent journey will recognize a deeper story unfolding behind the scenes. Her experiences—equal parts challenging and uplifting—offer a reminder that life’s most meaningful lessons often arrive in unexpected, sometimes unwelcome, packages.
With new projects on the horizon and a renewed appreciation for life’s unpredictability, Davina McCall continues to inspire, not just as a television personality, but as a mother, survivor, and candid chronicler of the human experience.
